Letter

Guns in Concord, guns in schools

“A Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives [Kyle Tasker (R-Nottingham)] who once posted a comment on Facebook about shooting at police officers accidentally dropped one of his guns on the floor at the start of a committee meeting Tuesday morning.” — Huffington Post, March 20, 2012.

“Democrats pushed through a ban on carrying guns and other deadly weapons on New Hampshire’s House floor and in its ante-room and gallery on Wednesday . . . But state Rep. John Burt, R-Goffstown, objected to the ban and said he would ignore it.” — Associated Press, Jan. 2, 2013.

“Police removed a student from a ConVal High School classroom Wednesday afternoon after he was found to be in possession of a loaded gun.” — Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Oct. 24.

The 14-year-old, who cooperated with the police, was taken into custody. The lawmaker who was careless enough to drop a loaded gun, and the lawmaker who plans to illegally carry concealed weapons, are still legally representing us in Concord, making the laws that govern our lives. If our state reps carry loaded guns into their publicly funded workplace, why should we be surprised when a high school student follows suit? Except that, when faced with authority, the high school student behaved a lot better than his elders did. But when he grows up, he won’t have to. That is, unless we elect some responsible policy-makers, who prioritize safety over bravado, and respect the laws they are sworn to uphold.

This, again, from the Associated Press in January: “The ban, approved 196-153, ends at the doors to the chamber, which mean lawmakers and the public can carry weapons elsewhere in the Statehouse complex.”

What are we teaching the thousands of fourth graders who visit the statehouse every year to learn about government?